And It's Over

Ugh. UGHHH. By breaking off a 59 yard touchdown run, Stephen Jackson knocked the Vikings rush defense out of the recordbooks, adding one final disappointment to a disappointing season. I didn't expect the team to win, or even necessarily to be competitive. I did not, however, expect the Vikings' rush defense to get dominated like it was. I mean, Jackson was the first running back to rush for 100 yards against the Vikings since Warrick Dunn did on October 5, 2005.

And when a defense can't stop the pass or the run, games get ugly fast. And this one did. The pass rush failed to record a sack, nor were they really ever close to Bulger. And with enough time to check his reads three or four times (as well as enough time to read the Sunday Edition of the paper, check out the chicks in the first row and put some serious thought into where he fits into the grand scheme of things) Bulger picked apart the Vikings' injury ravaged secondary. And were it not for the Rams receivers' problems with catching the ball, it would have been even worse.

There were some bright spots, thankfully. Tarvaris, when given time, played well (again, aside from his two interceptions). Childress showed he may not be as bad as people think, utilizing the Revolution's speed in the red zone by rolling him out. Two of the three touchdowns came on bootlegs, and when the defense had to account for the Revolutions' speed and arm, the Vikings were able to score touchdowns. They were more successful finishing drives with touchdowns today than they have been all season, punching it in all three times they reached the red zone, and it was due to Tarvaris' mobility.

Some final quick thoughts on the game:

• Troy Williamson's spot on the inactive list today makes me think that he won't be back next year. Which means that if the Vikings let Napolean Harris walk, they will have managed to turn the most talented reciever in the NFL into nothing two years later. Which would be just awesome.
• Cutting Marcus Robinson did allow the staff to get a look at Martin Nance today, and he looked pretty good. That being said, the Vikings need to bring in at least two good wide recievers to have a solid recieving core. I'll have more on the Vikings should go about finding quality recievers later in the week.
• Childress needs to utilize Mewelde Moore better next year. As Moore showed once again, when he gets the ball in space, he can make something happen. Chester Taylor's a very good back, but he doesn't have Moore's explosiveness. If Childress utilizes them properly, the two of them can be a very dangerous combination.
• The Vikings' season may be over, but the playoffs are just beginning. And with the start of the playoffs comes the start of the Ragnarok's first ever Playoff Pick Off! The contest is open to all who read the Ragnarok, and the winner will get to write a post about whatever they want. Picks (straight win/loss) will be due by Thursday at 6pm, and I'll be posting them every Friday so people can follow along. If you're interested drop me an email so I can get a handle on how many people will be doing it and get the contest set up.
  

Evaluating the Goals: 1st Half

Like most Vikings' fans, I wasn't expecting a victory today, but I did have a five things I wanted to see prior to the season end. So how are the Vikings' doing so far? Sadly, not so well.

1. Unlike the last nine games, the Rams have not completely abandoned the run. And behind Stephen Jackson's 62 yards on 15 carries, they've been more successful than any team in a long time. If the Rams keep this up, they will surpass 153 yards, since they've already rushed for 78 yards. Not only that, but Stephen Jackson will also be the first running back to break the century mark against the Vikings' this year.

2. Childress is still calling the short plays on 3rd and long, but there have been a number of plays where he's put Tarvaris in space on rollouts. Also, Childress has clearly gotten the message through to Tarvaris that it's ok to run the ball,since he's rushed five times for 23 yards, including a nice bootleg play on 3rd and goal that Tarvaris pulled down and ran for his first career rushing touchdown. The Vikings need more of that, and less 3 yard drags on 3rd and 8.

3. The performance of the Tarvaris Revolution has been mixed so far today. Yes, he has two awful interceptions. But he's also been accurate on his passes, made a lot of good decisions and led a beautiful touchdown drive. In the first half, he's 11-18 for 107 yards, a solid performance which has included some nice runs. Thankfully, he's showing that he has the ability to be really good once he stops making rookie mistakes.

4. I'm pretty sure that of the 16 times Marc Bulger dropped back, he only faced pressure from the Vikings defence once. And that's despite numerous blitzes. If the Rams weren't dropping the ball, he'd pretty much be perfect. Another poor performance by the defensive front seven.

5. As you can probably tell, the game wasn't blacked out. So we've got that going for us. Which is nice.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Make every play clear the way to victory!
Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
Put up a fight with a might so fearlessly!

We'll never forget the way you thrilled the nation,
With your T formation.

Bear Down, Chicago Bears.
And let them know why you're wearing the crown.

You're the pride and joy,
of all Illinois.
Chicago Bears, Bear Down!

[No, I'm not changing this to a Bears blog--it's just I can't handle the idea that the Packers might make the playoffs. So GO BEARS!]

Goals for the Game

While it doesn’t matter in the grand scheme of things if the Vikings win on Sunday (the draft is too mercurial for the exact slot too matter too much), there are still quite a few things I’d like to see from the Vikings so that I don’t feel the entire season was a waste. And since I’m in a list kind of mood (who isn’t at the end of the year) here are the five goals I want the Vikings to accomplish.

1. I want to see the Vikings rush defense set the modern day record. In order to do so, they only need to hold the Rams to 152 yards. Not only, that, I want them to finish the season without allowing a single back to rush for 100 yards against them. That should be accomplished easily enough, especially considering that the Rams are going to open up their air attack on the Vikings ravaged secondary, but Stephen Jackson is a quality running back who’s been successful this year and I’d hate to see them lose the record on the last day.
2. I want to see Brad Childress use the Tarvaris Revolution properly. Tarvaris has the speed, the arm and the accuracy to be successful in space. Not to mention the fact that he should be willing to tuck the ball and make something happen whenever his first two reads aren’t open (which is probably quite often). Childress needs to call plays that utilize Tarvaris' talents and make sure the Revolution knows it's ok to scramble.
3. Following that line of thinking, I want to see the Tarvaris Revolution have success. Now, I’m not expecting a 300 yard passing game. Or even a 250 yard one. Not with the receivers he’ll be throwing to. Instead, I want to see him throw accurate passes, avoid any interceptions and scramble when the opportunity presents itself. Basically, I want him to continue to show he has the ability to be the Vikings' starting quarterback next year, whether or not his recievers catch his passes.
4. I want to see the Vikings put some pressure on Marc Bulger. They haven't had more than three sacks since the Seattle game and have only averaged 1.67 sacks a game since. Considering that teams have been throwing the ball more than forty times a game, that's just awful.
   
5. Finally, I want to actually be able to watch the game on Sunday. I know that there's only a small chance that it will be blacked out locally, but I can't say I'd be happy if I couldn't watch the game despite being in Minnesota.
   

Childress Should Be Back

The trendy thing amongst Vikings' fans nowadays is to hate Brad Childress. And there are some valid criticisms, which I won't get into here. but firing Childress after this year would be a mistake, for a myriad of reasons. Plus, you know something is probably a bad idea when it's the consensus of people who don't think before writing or speaking. So I say he deserves at least one more year for the following reasons:

1. Continuity:
Bringing in a new coach is a traumatic experience for a team. New staff needs to be hired, the players need to learn a new system and the new guy is either going to have no experience at the top or be a retread. Either way, it's still a crapshoot. You might get a Sean Payton or you might get an Art Shell or Rod Marinelli.

2. Childress is a rookie:
Like all rookies, Childress has made mistakes. He hasn't been able to adjust his offense for greater success. He's had playcalling issues. The team has been racked by penalties. These things happen in a coaches first year. In Andy Reid's first year, the Eagles finished 5-11 and were swept by the Cardinals. They finished 11-5 the next year. And that's just one example of many.

3. It is a kick ass system:
While the play calling may not excite anyone, the system Childress installed is a good one. He's not running some system he made up himself--he's running the West Coast offense, which has a long history of success. He's also stuck to the running game, calling for 420 run plays, as opposed to 311 passing plays. While he (obviously) needs to work on the playcalling, he's emphasized the run and installed a passing attack that, if run right, has been a huge part of the success of Andy Reid's Eagles, Mike Holmgren's Packers and Seahawks and Bill Walsh's 49ers.

4. The talent on offense is awful:
As I said yesterday, Childress did not inherit a juggernaut. Prior to blowing out a Bears team that was playing its backups, the Vikings averaged only 18.1 points per game last year. That's not a whole lot better than the 17.4 the Vikings are averaging this year. And the offense had to replace their best reciever and had a quarterback whose performance dropped off a cliff, which isn't the best way to replicate a previous year's "success".

5. Childress hasn't been all bad:
The man has made some important decisions, including hiring Mike Tomlin, starting Artrose Pinner against the Lions, bringing in Bethel Johnson and drafting Tarvaris Jackson. And key players want to play for him: E.J. Henderson, Kevin Williams and Bryant McKinnie all signed long term deals, forgoing a free agent market that was sure to be favorable to them. Those signings bode well for his ability to convince top tier free agents to sign this off season. He's also dealt with the off the field issues, allowing the Bengals to replace the Vikings as the most out of control franchise.

6. He hates the media:
A lot of people will disagree with me on this one, but I think the fact Childress hates the media is a good thing. There have been many successful coaches who have hated interacting with the media. Sucking up to the media doesn't help a team win games, nor does it make them less likely to criticize when times are rough. And since the last coach loved interacting with the media, often looking like a buffoon, I'd rather have someone that considers it a necessary evil, like Bill Parcells, Bill Belicheck and Brian Billick, which brings me to my last point.

7. Brian Billick:
Vikings fans are sure to recognize the name of the man who called the plays for the most explosive offense ever. They also should recognize him as the head coach of the Baltimore Ravens and a man who won a Super Bowl with a team that only averaged 20.8 points a game. He's also arrogant, smug, hates the media and has a career record of 74-53, despite the Ravens finishing 8-8 in his first year, missing the playoffs, while averaging 18.5 points a game.

Not Quite Over It

I know, I know. This year's Vikings' team was deeply flawed. That doesn't mean that I'm ok with the fact they missed out on the playoffs this year. And just barely at that. As of right now, the New York Giants are in the lead for the last playoff spot. The Packers are just barely behind them (and if you think I've come to terms with the fact the Packers might make the playoffs, you are badly mistaken). If the Vikings' offense had managed even a field goal on Thursday, they'd be the team in the lead, not the Giants.

Basically, if the Vikings had fielded a decent offense this year, they'd have cruised into the playoffs. Then again, you don't turn around a crappy unit in one year without adding a lot of talent, and the additions of Chester Taylor and Steve Hutchinson were obviously not enough to offset the massive drop in Brad Johnson's play and the loss of Koren Robinson. Pretty much the whole unit would have needed to be replaced to turn around an offense that averaged 18.1 points a game when playing defenses that were trying (the Vikings scored 34 points in week 17 against a Chicago team resting their starters).

And yet, I've heard people say that Mike Tice would have led this team to the playoffs. Even if you think that Mike Tice's offense would have worked better, there's still the fact that his teams never, ever, ever finished the season strong. In fact, during his three year tenure, they failed to win a single game that would have either clinched a playoff berth or prevented them from being eliminated from the playoff hunt. So let's not pretend that the Vikings would have made the playoffs this year if Tice had been the head coach. The offense would have been just as bad, and the team would have had just as much success down the stretch. Now, if Sean Payton had been the Vikings' coach, that'd have been an entirely different story.

[Wednesday--why Childress deserves another year before he's run out of town.]

A Playoff Dream Deferred

Three first downs. More than three dropped passes. No blocking. What does that equate to? A loss, a sweep by the Packers and an end to any playoff hopes. Just an awful effort by the offense today.

Luckily for the future, it wasn't Tarvaris play that kept the Vikings from moving the ball. He was getting the ball to his receivers when he had time. And while he was having problems feeling where to move in the pocket, his line's poor play would have caused even Peyton Manning problems. He'll figure that stuff out as he plays more. If Tarvaris had gotten some help, he would have been able to generate enough offense for the win (enough offense meaning one single field goal). Instead, the O-Line wasn't opening any holes for the running backs, wide receivers were dropping balls left and right (I don't really want to discuss Troy Williamson's drop after talking him up on Wednesday) and everyone and their mother was getting penalized.

And so, once again, the Vikings lost due to offensive ineptitude. As I've said before, if the offense had managed to be even mediocre against the 49ers, Bears and Dolphins, the Vikings would have locked up a playoff spot already. I guess it's fitting that the loss that eliminates from playoff contention was due to their offense being shut out by the second worst scoring defense in the NFL.

The Vikings have now been in existence for 46 years. They have yet to win a championship in that time. Only the Eagles, Cardinals and Lions have gone longer without without a championship. All three, however, have won championships.

[And I know it's kind of a bad time, but I just wanted to wish everyone who stops by here a Happy Holidays. I really appreciate everyone that reads my stuff, and especially those who join in the discussion.]

Losing is Not an Option

There’s just too much on the line tonight, so I’m just going to come out and say it: losing to the Packers tonight is not an option. It’s Tarvaris’ first start, possibly Farve’s last at Lambeau (mark my words--either way he will draw out the decision because he’s a media whore), and the loser will be eliminated from the playoffs. Not to mention that the Packers are going for their first sweep of the Vikings since 2000. And that is why, despite all the frustrations so far this season, none of them will come close to the Vikings’ dropping this game.

You know what makes it even better? If the Vikings lose tonight, it will be because Brett Farve beat them, just like last time. Sadly, I can’t say I have a lot of confidence in the Vikings’ abilities to stop him after Sunday’s performance against another turnover prone QB. And while Cedric Griffin’s injury doesn’t help the Vikings’ cause, the problem isn’t in the secondary. The problem lies in the Vikings’ inability to pressure the quarterback, just as it has for most of the year. Quite simply, if the Vikings get in Brett Farve’s face and force him to rush his throws, he will make mistakes and he will turn the ball over. Sticking Antoine Winfield on Donald Driver for the entire game wouldn’t hurt either. If they aren't successful at applying pressure, Farve is going to do what he did in Week 10 and pick the Vikings apart. And no one wants to hear the media go into full Farve mode after his “last win” at Lambeau. Personally, I can think of a lot of things I’d rather experience, many of which involve inflicting pain upon myself.

Of course, it could easily go the other way. While it doesn’t look like he’ll make it this season, Farve is only seven interceptions away from tying George Blanda’s record for the most career interceptions thrown. And if the Vikings can put him in position to tie the record against da Bears, well, then I think I’m going to like this media cycle a lot better.

And I’ll especially like it if Tarvaris is able to play as well as he did against the Jets, which I think he’ll have a great chance to do. Unlike on Sunday, he shouldn’t have to come out throwing, since the Vikings won’t be in a deep hole. That means the Vikings will have the luxury of being able to establish the run, something I expect Brad Childress to do. I have high expectations for the Tarvaris Revolution, but expecting him to be successful throwing the ball forty times isn't one of them. I have faith in Childress’ ability to work with a young quarterback and so I doubt he’ll make that mistake.

That being said, I have no idea if the Vikings are going to win tonight. I have faith in their ability to run the ball and their ability to stop the run. I even expect Tarvaris to turn in a solid game. I’m just not confident in their ability to stop Brett Farve, however. And that’s going to be the difference. If they get him to throw at least two interceptions, they’ll win. If not, well, you can kiss the Vikings’ playoff hopes good bye.

The Revolution, the Bounceback and the Lynchpin

The Tarvaris Revolution has Begun!!
And it is about damn time. As anyone with a pair of eyes could see, the Vikings' passing game has been a disgrace this year and a lot of that has to do with Brad Johnson's quarterback play. The fact that the Vikings are still in the NFC wild card hunt is a testament to their tremendous run defense and quality running game, not to mention the mediocrity of the conference. It's nice that Brad Childress finally realized that Tarvaris really couldn't play much worse than Johnson has been. And he has the talent and potential to play a lot better, which we saw on Sunday.

You could see the differences between the two as soon as Tarvaris came in. First of all, Jackson actually has the ability to move, which Childress took advantage of by getting Tarvaris out of the pocket on bootlegs. It was also obvious how much more Tarvaris able to get on his passes, and he displayed a nice touch on his touchdown pass to Mewelde Moore. Finally, he was throwing his passes where his recievers wanted, hitting them in stride, putting it over the proper shoulder and not hanging them out to dry over the middle. The talent is obvious and I think Childress' offense is going to look a lot better with a quarterback that can make the throws.

Bounceback from a Benching
Another positive note from Sunday was the game turned in by Troy Williamson. He actually looked like a reciever while hauling in 6 passes for 74 yards including snagging a high hard one from Tarvaris that I feel like he would have dropped at the beginning of the season. Considering he was benched and written off two weeks ago, it was an eye opener and showed that he isn't a bust yet. I don't know if he'll ever produce like the #7 pick in the draft, but this is a nice start (it won't hurt having a real quarterback either).

Big Pat is the Lynchpin
I think Pat Williams had it right when he said, "I play nose tackle, they never give us nose tackles any credit". The Vikings are still on pace to have the best rush defense ever (all they have to do is give up fewer than 199 rushing yards in the next two games) and yet the key to their rush defense is only going to the Pro Bowl because Tommie Harris is hurt. I know I shouldn't bother getting worked up for this, because Big Pat is going anyway and because Pro Bowl voting is a joke, but that doesn't mean that Pat Williams shouldn't have been the voters first choice for Hawaii.

NFC Playoff Table Week 15--They Can and Will Make It

Aside from a Vikings’ loss, the games from last week pretty much went the Vikings’ way, leaving the Vikings’ path to the playoffs crystal clear. Thankfully, that loss came to an AFC team, keeping the Vikings’ in the hunt. In order to make it to the second season, the Purple must win out. A loss to Green Bay or St. Louis would eliminate them, since it would guarantee that the Packers or Rams would finish with at least the same record and hold the tiebreaker. Two Vikings wins, however, will not be enough. Both the Falcons and Giants must also lose at least one more game. If they do, and the Vikings win out, the Vikings would have the tiebreaker over both of them, due to a superior conference record. That’s not all, however. For the Vikings to sneak in to the playoffs at 8-8, one of two things must happen in the NFC West. Either San Francisco loses one of their last two games, OR they win out and Seattle drops their last two games, giving the 49ers the division title.

So is it going to happen? Well, it helps that the Tarvaris Revolution has begun (more on that in a special bonus post later this afternoon). The Falcons and Giants both have very losable games left (Atlanta going to Philly and hosting Carolina and the Giants hosting New Orleans and Washington), and they only each need to drop one. San Francisco also has to host Denver and the (hopefully) always pesky Cardinals. It can happen. The Vikings can make the playoffs if they win out. Now all they need to do is take care of business.

Team	Record			NFC Record	Tiebreakers		Tiebreaker Games Left		Other Opponents Left
MIN	6-8			6-4	SEA, CAR		STL		@GB
NYG	7-7			6-4	ATL, CAR		NO		WAS
PHI	8-6			7-3	GB, SF, CAR		ATL, @DAL		NONE
DAL	9-5			6-4	CAR, ATL		PHI,		DET
NO	9-5			8-2	PHI, SF, ATL, DAL		@NYG		CAR
ATL	7-7			5-5	NONE		@PHI		CAR,
CAR	6-8			4-6	STL		@ATL, @NO
SEA	8-6			6-5	NYG, STL		NONE		SD, @TB
STL	6-8			4-6	NONE		@MIN		WAS
SF		6-8	5-6			MIN, SEA	AZ	DEN

[To make up for my absence, I'll be posting again this afternoon--make sure you stop back to for a post on the beginning of the Tarvaris Revolution, the rise of Artrose Pinner, Pat Williams Pro Bowl snub and more, followed by a game preview on Thursday morning]

You've Got to Back Somebody--Week 15

As I said on Wednesday, the NFC playoff picture is starting to clear up a little bit. And if the games this Sunday go the Vikings’ way, it’s going to be a lot easier to decide who to root for the last two weeks. But don’t worry—even if it’s painfully obvious who the Vikings need to win in Weeks 16 and 17, I’ll still post these, since I know you'd miss them otherwise.

New York-A (7-6) @ Minnesota (6-7): As usual, I’m going to start out with an easy one. The Vikings need to win this game, both because their margin of error is thin, and because it would reassure me that they can beat the Packers at Lambeau and the Rams at home. That being said, the Vikings can still make the playoffs if they lose this game, but they’ll need some help from the Falcons, Cowboys, Giants and Eagles.

Detroit (2-11) @ Green Bay (5-8): This game has no ramifications on the playoff picture whatsoever, but I would definitely enjoy watching Brett Farve end his career on a losing team. Or, even better, have him decide that he does not want to go out as a loser and so continue to hold back the Packers’ rebuilding efforts one more year (and breaking the career mark for interceptions thrown while doing so).

San Francisco (6-8) @ Seattle (8-6): If Seattle can win this game, they’ll knock the Niners out of the playoff hunt, something that could be key to the Vikings’ playoff hopes, since San Francisco has the head to head tiebreaker over the Purple. Wait….What? They played on Thursday night? And the Seahawks lost? Stupid NFL network not showing the games they claim to be broadcasting.

Pittsburgh (6-7) @ Carolina (6-7): If the Steelers win here, they guarantee that the Panthers are out of the playoff chase, since every team ahead of Carolina has beaten them. So yes, that means you have to root against Minnesota native Chris Weinke. Is backing the opponent of a Minnesota native really that big of a deal? I guess so.

St. Louis (5-8) @ Oakland (2-11): After the Cardinals got their second win against the Rams, Mark Bulger called out his teammates for their lack of effort. Realistically, for the Raiders to win, the Rams are going to have to show the same disregard for winning that they showed against Arizona. So what I’m saying is, don’t bother watching this game, because it's going to be ugly. But when you look at the scoreboard, hope that the Raiders win, since it will knock the Rams out of the wild card chase.

Dallas (8-5) @ Atlanta (7-6): This one is kind of tricky. If the Falcons’ win, they’ll bring the Cowboys back to the wild card pack, which could be good for the Vikings, since they would hold the tiebreaker over Dallas if they finished tied for a wild card spot. That being said, it’s for the best if the Cowboys win, since it would (hopefully) allow the Vikings to be in a three way tie for the last wild card spot going into the final two weeks. And the Vikings will hold the tiebreaker over the Falcons if they’re tied at 8-8 or 9-7.

Philadelphia (7-6) @ New York-N (7-6): As usual, there’s one game whose ramifications are almost impossible to decipher, and this is that game. Either way, one of the teams leading the Vikings in the standings is going to lose, so this game is guaranteed to help the Vikings either way. Of the two, Vikings’ fans should probably be rooting for the Giants, since the Eagles have to play at Dallas and at home against Atlanta, making it more likely the Vikings will be able to out play them over the last two weeks. To be honest, however, what’s most important is that the loser loses at least once more, allowing the Vikings to pass them by winning their last two games.

[I'll be out of town for until Wednesday, so it's possible I won't be posting on Monday or Tuesday. I should be able to find time, but I thought I'd warn you, since I know how annoying it can be when a favorite site isn't updated when you expect it.

Back to .500?

The Jets are emblematic of the parity era NFL—talented, well coached, but wildly inconsistent. This is a team that went into Lambeau and smacked around the Packers, only to fall flat against the Bills the next week. They also stole a game from New England at Gillette Stadium the week after losing to the Browns. The difference? Whether or not they protected the ball.

In five of the Jets’ six losses, they turned the ball over at least twice, usually by throwing it to the other team. And when Chad Pennington isn’t throwing away games, he’s fumbling them away (sound familiar?). He’s thrown 15 interceptions so far and has fumbled five times, losing four of them. The picks aren’t that surprising either—he’s averaging more than an interception a game for his career.

And yet, if this game is anything like the rest of the season, he’s going to be throwing a lot on Sunday, something he should be used to by now, considering Pennington has had more than 30 attempts in each of the Jets’ last five games. It’s what the Vikings are able to do with those passes that will determine the outcome of the game—the Jets have lost five of the six games where Pennington has thrown two interceptions, with their sole victory coming against the Packers. In that game, Pennington didn’t throw his first pick until the Jets were up 31-3.

The Vikings, thankfully, have shown the ability to capitalize when they play quarterbacks with questionable decision making skills, which is why they’re third in the NFL this season with 18 interceptions. Of course, it doesn’t matter how many times the defense gets the ball if the offense gives it right back. Brad Childress needs to be smart with his play calling on Sunday. My advice for him is to stop by his impersonators’ seats before the game, borrow their play sheet and call the game from it. That way he won't accidently call a pass play.

Why? Because the Jets are absolutely horrible at stopping the run. They allow almost 140 yards a game, worse than such defensive juggernauts as the Cardinals, Lions and Vikings (take a guess which two are named sarcastically, and which one is not). No Vikings’ fan should have to complain about Brad Johnson’s interceptions, or about his obnoxious tendency to only throw short routes, because the Vikings should never be in a situation on Sunday where Johnson needs to throw the ball farther than a few yards.

As you can see, this game plays to the Vikings’ strengths. They’re playing a quarterback that likes to turn the ball over and a defense that can’t stop the running game. Those two reasons, combined with the fact that the game is in the Metrodome, are why the Vikings are going to get back to .500 on Sunday by pulling out a huge 24-17 win.

[Don't forget to stop by on Saturday to check out who to root for this weekend. Oh, and if you're curious, you were supposed to root for the Seahawks last night. My guess is you couldn't see the game anyway. Aren't cable negotiations fun?]

NFC Playoff Table: Week 14--Still in it, Still a Mess

The playoff picture is starting to become clearer, only because there are fewer teams that realistically have a shot at the playoffs. While the Niners and Rams are still technically alive, they would need to win out and get a lot of help in order to sneak in. Carolina is also in a lot of trouble, since every team ahead of them holds the tiebreaker over them. In the division races, the NFC North, South and West are done. Da Bears are already in, the Saints only need to win one more game, or have both Atlanta and Carolina lose, in order to clinch and the Seahawks are in a similar position, needing only a win or a San Francisco loss to repeat as the NFC West champions.

That leaves us having to consider the Eagles, Giants, Falcons, Cowboys and Vikings. The Vikings are the team that needs the most help. They are a game back of the wild card and two of the four teams ahead of them would likely win a tiebreaker, unless they finish tied at 8-8, with the Vikings' only loss coming to the Jets. At that point, they would win the tiebreaker over all of the teams ahead of them, due to a superior NFC record.

If the Vikings loss is to the Packers or Rams (or if they win out and are tied with a 9-7 team), they would still have a better NFC record than the Falcons and Cowboys. The Eagles and Giants, however, would be different story. In this scenario, they would finish with an identical NFC record, which would force them onto the next tiebreaker, record against common opponents. The Eagles would win this tiebreaker, since they are 5-0 against opponents they have in common with the Vikings, with no games remaining, while the Vikings are only 3-2. The Giants, however, still have another game against Washington in Week 17, and currently sit at 2-2. If the ‘Skins win, the Vikings would hold the tiebreaker over the Giants. If the Giants win, then the tiebreaker would be determined by strength of victory, something that the remaining three games will determine.

There is one final wrinkle that must be considered. If the Vikings finish tied with more than one team, then another set of tiebreakers is applied first to narrow it down. If the two other teams are in the same division (a.k.a. from the NFC East), divisional tiebreakers are first used to eliminate one of the team and then the tiebreakers described in the above paragraph are applied. If all three teams are from different divisions, the first tiebreaker used would be NFC record, which would either give the playoff berth to the Vikings (8-8 with a loss to the Jets) or eliminate every team except the Vikings (9-7 or 8-8 with another NFC loss) and the Giants or Eagles. Then the same tiebreakers as described above would be applied.

So basically, the Vikings need to win their last two games to have a shot at the wild card. Since the Eagles play the Giants, Cowboys and Falcons, and the Falcons and Cowboys also square off; it looks like the last NFC wild card spot will go to a 9-7 team or 8-8 team. I’ll have a rooting guide up again on Saturday morning to help you decide who to back this weekend, but the most important thing is that the Vikings not lose another conference game.

Team	Record			NFC Record	Tiebreakers		Tiebreaker Games Left	Other Opponents Left
MIN	6-7			6-4	SEA, CAR		STL	@GB, NYJ
NYG	7-6			6-3	ATL, CAR		NO	PHI, WAS
PHI	7-6			6-3	GB, SF, CAR		ATL, @NYG, @DAL	NONE
DAL	8-5			5-4	CAR		@ATL, PHI,	DET
NO	9-4			8-1	PHI, NO, SF, ATL, DAL		@NYG	CAR, WAS
ATL	7-6			5-4	NONE		DAL, @PHI	CAR,
CAR	6-7			4-6	STL		@ATL, @NO	PIT
SEA	8-5			6-4	NYG, STL		SF	SD, @TB
STL	5-8			4-6	NONE		@MIN	@OAK, WAS
SF		5-8	4-6			MIN	GB, @SEA		DEN

They're Not the Lions

When the Pack Wins
When the Vikes Stink
When I'm feeling sad
I simply remember they're not the Lions
And then I don't feel so bad

Pathetic, Thy Name is Lion

I have to say, I like it better when the Vikings’ win than when they lose. Anyone disagree?

Childress may have some idea what he’s doing.

I spent sometime before the game yesterday discussing whether or not Ciatrick Fiason would be a good fantasy pickup with Chester Taylor not playing. To me, it was obvious that he was going to get the majority of carries, and do well with them, just like he had after Taylor left the game against da Bears. This is why Childress is managing the Vikings' depth chart, and I am not--Artrose Pinner was a beast yesterday, to the tune of 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns. And he looked like a stud doing it, carrying piles, breaking tackles and hitting the holes with his shoulders square. While people continually blast Childress’ offense, his commitment to the run and success on the ground so far this season has been undeniable. Taylor was the 5^th leading rusher coming into this week, and the Vikings are averaging 123 yards a game, despite defenses being able to play their entire squad in the box if they so chose.

You’re allowed to hit the quarterback?

For the first time in a long time, the Vikings actually pressured a quarterback. Jon Kitna was sacked three times (including on fourth and goal) and was hit quite a lot during the course of the game. Not coincidentally, he threw three interceptions and fumbled once. You can’t discount the work Keneci Udeze and Darrion Scott have done against the run, but the Vikings need a defensive end who can actually get to the quarterback in the worst way.

I did not know he could do that.

Brad Johnson had a rushing touchdown. And it wasn’t on quarterback sneak—he actually beat a Lions defender to the corner of the end zone. In case you were wondering, it was safety Kenoy Kennedy who didn’t have the wheels to catch “Blazing” Brad Johnson. I think we can safely assume why Kennedy is a safety and not a corner back.

Don’t even try.

The Vikings rush defense once again topped itself, setting the Vikings’ franchise record for fewest rushing yards allowed in a game by allowing only -3 rushing yards. Provided Elias doesn’t find the Lions rushing yards somewhere, it will be the least amount of rushing yards allowed by any team since the Vikings’ came into existence. And that’s why Mike Martz wasn’t thinking properly when he called two straight running plays on the goal line at the end of the game. The man is an offensive genius, but he definately has a tendency to out think himself in crucial situations.

“Proficient” is better than bad.

Brad Johnson continued to have success creating points for the other team, throwing a wounded duck up for Jamar Fletcher to return for a touchdown in the second quarter. He’s still inaccurate, and he still has no arm, but he didn’t lose the game for the Vikings’ today, which was nice. If you watch his throws, they’re either really inaccurate, like his pass on a wheel route to a wide open Mewelde Moore, or mildly inaccurate, like almost every single one of completions today. The man cannot hit his receivers in stride, which is a big reason why the shorter patterns the Vikings run to make up for his lack of arm strength don’t work like they should. Short patterns such as slants, drags and flares all require that the receiver catch the ball in stride, so that they can out run the man covering them. Johnson’s throws are almost always off, forcing the receiver to break stride to catch them, and allowing the corner or linebacker to tackle them before they hit the first down.

Not bad for the Vikings’ second choice.

Dewight Smith played great again today, which is especially nice considering that he wasn’t even on the Vikings’ plans until the preseason. He had his fourth interception of the season, tying him with Antoine Winfield for the team lead, and also joined a host of Vikings in bringing down Jon Kitna on fourth and goal. Considering he’s also third on the team in tackles, it isn’t a stretch to say he was the best defensive acquisition by the Vikings this year.

It ain’t over till it’s over.

The Vikings’ win kept them in the wild card race, even though many of the teams they wanted to lose were victorious. They’re still in a good position, but it’s looking more and more like they’ll need to win out in order to make the playoffs, unless the Giants and Eagles fall apart in the last three weeks. As always, I’ll have more on this on Wednesday.

Goal Line Stands are HOT

I know you felt it--the Vikings were letting the game slip away in the fourth quarter again. The offense had been inept in the second half, and Jon Kitna had marched the Lions to the one inch line. It was second and goal, and a touchdown would pull the Lions within three, with more then enough time to get the points they needed. All they needed was a few inches, something even the Lions could get easily.

E.J. Henderson, however, didn't care about the odds of a stop. Instead, he just stepped up, and with some help from Darrion Scott, blew up Kevin Jones at the line of scrimmage, hitting him so hard that Jones was bowled over, catching his foot and having to leave the game with an injury. That was only second down though--the Vikings still needed two more stops. And E.J. was up for the task, knifing through the line of scrimmage to tackle Arlen Harris in the backfield for a short loss. And then, when the Lions decide to risk it all, on fourth and goal, he combined with a host of Vikings to drag down Kitna and seal the victory.

It didn't hurt E.J.'s candidacy that he lead the team in tackles, recovered a fumble and recorded another sack, but as' any Vikings fan will tell you--goal line stands are HOT. And that's why E.J. gets to party with the Wisconsin Women this week.

Hey Detroit--Did you get your tickets to the Gun Show yet?

You've Got to Back Somebody--Week 14

Ask and ye shall receive: it’s time for the second installment of “You’ve Gotta Back Somebody”, my easy to use guide to which teams Vikings’ fans should be pulling for every week. And it’s important to pull for the right teams—the Vikings aren’t going to make the playoffs without some help.

Just like last week, the bolded team is the team you should root for.

Minnesota (5-7) @ Detroit (2-10): The Vikings aren’t quite yet in a must win situation (an 8-8 team is going to make the NFC playoffs this year), but a loss here would most likely end their hopes, both because it ruins their NFC record, and because any team that loses to Detroit just isn’t good enough to win three games in a row.

Philadelphia (6-6) @ Washington (4-8): A victory by the Redskins would be a huge help to the Vikings’ playoff hopes. Not only would it drop the Eagles’ record to 6-7 overall, hopefully tying them with the Vikings, it would also guarantee that the Eagles’ NFC record will not be better (and might be worse) than the Vikings if they both finish at 8-8.

Atlanta (6-6) @ Tampa Bay (3-9): This game is similar to the Eagles-‘Skins game, in that if Tampa wins, it will drop the Falcons below .500. It would also guarantee that the Vikings will hold the tiebreaker over the Falcons if they finished with the same record, due to the Vikings’ superior NFC record.

Chicago (10-2) @ St. Louis (5-7): The Rams are in a similar situation as the Vikings—they can maybe lose one game, but that’s it. That means if da Bears come out of St. Louis with a win, the Rams cannot lose afford to lose again, and a loss to the Vikings in the last week would be the end of their season (if they don’t drop their game at Oakland or against Washington).

New Orleans (8-4) @ Dallas (8-4): This game doesn’t matter right now, since it’s between two teams leading their divisions by two games. It might have an impact on which team the Vikings play in the first round if they make the playoffs, but worrying about that would be getting just a little bit ahead of ourselves.

Green Bay (4-8) @ San Francisco (5-7): Discussing this game makes me feel queasy. It would be best for the Vikings’ playoff hopes if the Packers hung another loss on the only playoff contender that has a win over the Purple. Then again, I never, ever, ever, want the Packers to win. So I won’t be rooting for them. Quite simply, this is a lose-lose for all Vikings’ fans.

New York (N) (6-6) @ Carolina (6-6): This one is the toughest game to pick a team to root for this week. Both teams are a game up on the Vikings in the wild card race, so, no matter what, the Vikings are going to be tied with the loser provided they beat Detroit.

The Vikings hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers, who finish at home against Pittsburgh followed by road games at Atlanta and New Orleans. The Giants finish with home games against Philadelphia and New Orleans before closing out the season at Washington. If they finish tied with the Vikings, they will either have the tiebreaker due to a better NFC record (if the Vikings’ eighth loss is to an NFC team) or it will come down to their records against common opponents (which I believe would go the Vikings’ way). My feeling is that it’s best if the Panthers win, since they have a harder schedule to finish the season, making them more likely to drop two of their last three, and because it would help out the Vikings’ chances of holding the tiebreaker over the Giants.

Why the Names?

There's not a whole lot to say about Sunday's game against the Lion that hasn't already been said. Brad Johnson should not be starting. Jon Kitna (and the Lions) suck and because of that, the Vikings really should win this game, even if Chester Taylor is unable to play. If they lose, odds are the two Brads should be blamed. As bad as Brad Johnson has been playing, however, I think the Lions will somehow find a way to lose, just like they always do. The Vikings will win 24-13, and keep their playoff hopes alive.

Instead of discussing in depth the Vikings' chances against the Lions, I'm going to write about something that's been bothering me all season--Patrick Reusse and Jim Souhan's treatment of Brad Childress in their columns (and, I assume, in their radio and TV appearances). Now, it's one thing to be critical of a head coach's decisions and performance. It's a whole 'nother thing to constantly call him stupid nicknames and push for him to be fired because he doesn't pandor to the media. Think I'm joking? Did you read Patrick Reusse's latest "Beyond the Quotes" column?

It starts out with this quote from "Kevin K.":

"It's time to run the Little Major out of town. However, I'm thinking he deserves to be busted down to private -- as in the beloved Beetle Bailey character Private Zero."

And somehow, it goes down hill from there. He spends the rest of the column railing on the "arrogance" of the Vikings' approach to the media, placing the blame on Team Vice President Rob Brzezinski, whom he belittling refers to as "Big Brain Brez". And why does Reusse go after Brzezinski? Because he wanted to change the way the Vikings' dealt with the media. How dare he!

"Because Brzezinski had been frustrated for four years because of Tice's openness with the media and the public.

Big Brain Brez figured if the Vikings made a CIA-like commitment to secrecy it would be worth what ... two, three victories a season?"

As I mentioned, Reusse isn't the only one attempting to undermine Brad Childress with silly nicknames and poorly written columns. Jim "Shecky" Souhan has been in on it from the start. Of course, Souhan doesn't even have Reusse's creativity--his demeaning nickname for Childress is the mind blowingly original "Chili". He seems to have gotten in on the action prior to Reusse as well (maybe because he didn't waste time coming up with a better nickname), first refering to Childress as "Chili" in his Sept. 17 column. Reusse, it seems, didn't get in on the action until after the Packers' game (another reason why Reusse is a "better" columnist than Souhan). And now they're both committed to running Childress out of town, despite the improvements from the Tice era in the Vikings' accountability off the field, defense, staff (everyone seems to forget who hired Mike Tomlin) and general professionalism, all because they're fed up with Childress' treatment of the media. And they're doing it in the most juvenile, anonymous hack on an internet message board kind of way--with stupid nicknames and awful analysis.

And they wonder why intelligent Vikings' fans have turned to other sources to get their Vikings' fix.

[Make sure you stop by tomorrow morning for my guide to which teams to back this weekend]